Gear Guide 2012: Elemental Herbs Zinc Sunscreen

Using pure zinc oxide, Elemental Herbs sunscreen protects you from the solar radiation and the sun's harshest rays.

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Some sunscreens contain chemicals purported to diminish water quality and pose a cancer threat, but this reformulated lotion from Elemental Herbs uses pure zinc oxide (the non-nano particles are large enough that they don’t get absorbed by your skin) to shield you from solar radiation. Testers found it thick but spreadable; once applied, it doesn’t leave a greasy residue. “It kept my fair skin unburned during a five-hour hike at 11,000 feet,” reports one Colorado tester. $16; 3 oz.; elementalherbs.com